Capping-machine.



G. KIRKEGAARD.

CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 6, 1908.

922,778; Patented May 25, 1909.

I 61 6 (WWW MhWQ- W e/W UNTTE STATES PATENT OFTITQE.

GEORG KIRKEGAARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO IMPERIAL STOPPER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

GAPPING-MACHIN E Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Application filed May 6, 1908. Serial No, $31,149.

To cu'l whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEoRo Knmnoaann, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Brook- Iyn and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Capping-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to bottle capping machines of that class which are adapted to apply a cap or stopper to a bottle, particularly caps having a circumferential depending flange adapted to make locking engagement with the exterior of the neck of the bottle, and containing a packing disk which is held under (.OD'IPIGSSlOD against the mouth of the bottle by such locking engagement. In machines of this character, especially those which are driven by power, the stroke of the plunger and head which applies the cap to the bot e is usually of uniform length, and, if bottle happens to be of abnormal length. as often occurs, unusual pressure is exerted thereupon by the machine, which results in breakage and loss.

It is the object of my invention to provide a machine which, while affording the necessary pressure to compress the packing disk and apply the cap, will auton'iatically compensate for the variations in the length of the bottle and prevent the breakage and loss referred to.

The invention consists in supporting a bottle upon a table which is freely depressivariations in the length of the bottles which are capped. In conpmction with this depressible table, I provide a means for automatically locking the same in a fixed position at a predetermined point or stage in the bottle-capping operation, this locking action occurring automatically after the parts have assumed a proper relation to one another by the preliminary ii'ianipnlations necessary in positioning the bottle. In practice I make the table yieldingiy spring pressed upward and provide a locking device which is put into operation at the instant that the cap is about to be bent .or engaged upon the bottle. This arrangement, not only compensates with certainty for all variations and irregularities in the bottles and in the caps, but.

also facilitates the preliminary n'ianipulation of positioning the bottle, and renders it posl. sible to. use a capping machine with a comparatively short, slow, powerful stroke, instead of a stroke of greater length and velocity with proportionate vibration and impact on the fragile glass.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the essential parts of a bottle capping machine embodying the'principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing a modified form of locking means.

teferring to the drawings, in which like parts are designated by the same reference sign, 1 indicates a cap-applying head having a forming or compressing die 2 of any desired or preferred construction. The capapplying head is adapted to be reciprocated through any suitable power or other means not forming part of the present invention. A practical means for this purpose is set forth in my companion application Serial No. 431,147.

3 designates the'depressible table which is yieldable in the direction of movement of the cap-applying head 1. In practice I plunger 4 slidably received in a. socket 5 forming a fixed part of the machine.

(3 denotes a spring within the hollow plunger 4:, by which the latter is normally maintained in an elevated position, but yieldable downward when a slight amountof force is applied thereto. p 7 designates a screw entering a recess 'i' 1 in the plunger 4, so as to limit the vertical movement thereof.

ger 4 I provide a lockin device adapted to i engage the plunger and X its position at a predetermined point or stage in the capping lo'peration. My preferred construction for this purpose comprises a solenoid magnet fixed to the frame or socket 5 by a bracket l0 denotes a core or armature of magnetic material guided by the bracket 9 and movable axially through the solenoid. At its inner end this armature has a dog or toothed ortion 11 adapted to engage a correspond- ,lngly toothed section 12 of the plunger 4'; constituting a rack for the table. The dog 11 is, however, normally kept in 1ts retracted position out of engagement with the teeth 12, by a spring 13 acting against a head or enlargement 14 at the outer end of the armature 10. Whenever the solenoid is make the table 3 with a hollow stem or In conjunction with the depressible plunenergized, the armature 10 is attractedto receive a bottle cap 19 and. support the same slight upwardly yielding movement of the .relation, a cap is first placed beneath the the left in Fig. 1, and the dog 11 engages the teeth 12 to lock the plunger against any movement of depression. v a

The solenoid 8 may be included in a circuit which is closed by devices within the cap-applying head. I have illustrated a convenient practical construction, making use of a permanent magnet 16 which is slidable endwise in a shaft 1.7 forming part of the cap-applying head. This permanent magnet normally falls by gravity to its lowermostlimit of movement, determined by a stop 18. In this relation the poles of this magnet are conveniently presented to preliminary to its application on the bottle. The magnet 16 has a contact 20 supported thereby in any suitable wa and directly above this contact I provi e a stationary contact 21 which, however, may be made adjustable on a supporting insulating block 23.

24 designates a spring which permits a I block 23.

The contacts 20 and 21 are made the terminals of an electrical circuit including the solenoid 8 and a battery 25. \Vhen these contacts are brought together the circuit is completed and the solenoid is energized.

The use and operation is as follows: Assuming that the parts are in their normal magnet f6 and attracted and held thereby, after which a bottle 26 is forcibly depressed upon the table 3 which yields under the application of the pressure so applied. If this force upon the bottle is now released, the? latter rises under the influence of the spring 6, until its neck or mouth enters the cap l9 which is suspended from the magnet 16, as above noted.- It is obvious that the parts will assume this relation regardless of any variations in the length of the bottle 26 or in the thickness of the caps. If the machine is now started in operation, the cap-applying head 1 will descend. In this action the 1 magnet 16 will first rise to its upward limit of movement and bring the contacts 20- and 1 21 into engagement, completing the electrical i circuit of the solenoid 8. At the instant, therefore, that the forming die 2 becomes effia-tiveand commences its compressing and cap-applying action, the locking dog 11 is thrust forward into the path-of the teeth 12. so that the table! is prevented from yielding downward. The cap-applying head thereafter descends through a fixed throw 5 requisite to complete the application of the i bottle cap, the amount of this throw being, however, of limited and exactly predeteri mined range or extent, depending on the character of the cap to be applied.

By the above described mechanism all ir- 1 ment with the teeth 12 when attracted into i the solenoid. The movement of the coreor regularities in the bottles are compensated for by the preliminary part of the action of the machine, the final step of applying the .cap being made by an unvarying action or performance of the machine, as is desirable. It will be noted that the nature of this final cap-applying action or performance of the machine is such as to require only avery limited movement of the cap-applying head, so that the latter has very little inertia or impact against the fragile glass of thebottle, which might. break or damage the same.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a slightly modified construction of lockingmeans for the depressible plunger 1. In this case there may be provided a pivoted locking dog-11 to engage the toothed section 12 of the plunger 4. The armature 10' is pivoted to the dog 11 so as to tilt the latter into engagearmature 10 in this instance is toward the" right, instead of toward the left as in Fig. 1, i the spring 13 being correspondingly located on the left of the solenoid to impart a proper s return movement to the core or armature.

What I claim is: 1. In a bottle capping machine,a cap apf plying head, a table yieldable in the direction of movement of J said head, locking ;means for securing said table against a movement of depression, a magnet for actuating said locking means, and means actuated by the descent of said cap-applying head upon a bottle for completing a circuit loo through said magnet.

2. In a bottle capping machine, a cap- I applying head, a table resiliently yieldable in the direction of movement of said head, locking means for securing said table against a movement of depression, a solenoid tor actuat-ing said locking means, and means actuated by the descent of said cap-applying head upon a bottle for completing a circuit 1 through said solenoid.

3. ha bottle capping machine, a capapplying head, a table yieldable in the direction of movement of said head, means in said headfor completing a circuit at the instant when said head commences its cap-applying function on a bottle, and means for locking lv it) said table against yielding movement when said circuit is completed.

4c. In a bottle capping machine, a capi applying head, a table depressible in the direct on of movement of said head, a solenoid having an armature with a dog, a rack adapted to be engaged by said dog to P vent a movement of depression of said table,

and means for completing a circuit through said solenoid when said head commences its cap-applying function on' a bottle,

5. In a bottle capping machine, a capa 'iplying head having a forming die, a maga circuit completed by such inward move- 3 table, and a circuit completed by said conment of said magnet, a depressible table, and tacts and adapted to lock said table against means actuated by the completion of said a movement of depression.

circuit for locking said table against a move- In witness whereof, I subscribe my signament of depression. I ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

6. In a bottle capping machine, a cap GEORG KIRKEGAARD applying head having a forming die, means I depressible inwardly within said die and having a contact, another contact in the path 10 of said first named contact, a depress'ible Witnesses:

VALDO M. CHAPIi I, JAMES DAN'roNIo. 

